Pomegranate (Punica granatum L., Punicaceae) is an ancient, highly praised plant and fruit. Pomegranate culture and its usages are deeply embedded in human history and utilization is found in many ancient human cultures as food and as a medical remedy. Despite this fact, pomegranate culture has always been restricted and generally considered as a minor crop. In recent years pomegranates are increasingly recognized as attractive fruit trees that provide a good combination of tasty and appealing fruit appearance, highly valued health beneficial ingredients and a wide range of usages for the fruit and its products. Pomegranate fruit can be consumed as a fresh whole fruit, juice, juice concentrates, ready to use extracted fresh arils, dried arils, wine, cosmetical and pharmaceutical products and oils. Recent medical research indicates that pomegranate fruit has a wide range of important medical activities such as protection against cardiovascular diseases, anticancer and antimicrobial activities. These recent findings combined with public demand for healthy fruit resulted in a pronounced increase of pomegranate fruit consumption in the western world including countries that traditionally did not consume pomegranate fruit. The Pomegranate: New Interest in an Ancient Fruit HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE FOCUS direct
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